Thursday, February 28, 2008

Move over, knitting...

I can't fully explain how I did it, and one day anthropologists will study my jiggery-pokery and make fascinating conclusions. My evil powers of manipulation and general skullduggery have somehow allowed me to work my magic and convince the other adult in this household that this summer we will spend 10 days in Paris. Those that know this other adult will immediately comprehend the masterstroke that this event represents, especially given that he spends his waking hours fretting about the imminent financial collapse of our nation and thus reusing kleenexes in order to maximize our chances of not perishing in Thunderdome. To break it down in terms we can all understand, this would be like getting Jared to knit with fun fur, or Pam to suddenly quit sewing and start buying all her clothes from Merry-Go-Round, or Ashley to callously dump her beloved Bailey by the side of the road. You get the picture. This is, as Christian would say, kind of a big deal. So knitting has now taken a back seat to my new best friend, Tripadvisor.com. Have you seen this site? I am an expert because I've spent about 17 of the last 36 hours maniacally reading hotel reviews. It's like Ravelry for travelers...so fyi: I'm going to be insufferable for the next five months. You've been warned. [N.B. the above pic was taken by my brother, who went to Paris with his partner last fall, and since he went, I have to go, because I am locked in a caged death match of one-upmanship for life]. What are your summer travel plans?But there has been SOME knitting. I have, in fact, completed a hat. I know that I wasn't technically supposed to start this project before the Malabrigo March Madness A Better Bucket kal on Ravelry, but I got a little over zealous.The Specs:Pattern: A Better Bucket by Amy SwensonYarn: Malabrigo worsted in Azul LindoNeedles: addi size 7Mods: none at allThis is the ultimate Malabrigo pattern. The color way azul lindo was just a little too variegated to make it a good choice for a Koolhaas (not that I need to make a fourth one, however it remains my new gold standard), but it is perfect for this pattern. This pattern also allowed me to do my first provisional cast-on ever, and I love it. What took me so long? The brim is folded under and then attached by knitting it together with the working edge, thereby making the brim extra awesome.To be a good kal participant, I'll be making about fifteen more of these, in the colors below:

49 comments:

Paris sounds just lovely. I think we're off the international travel this year (2 trips to Italy in the past 3 years took a big bite out of the travel budget), and planning to do the Pacific NW or the Canadian Rockies instead.

Oh. My. God. (And I don't use that construction lightly.) We spent a week in Paris summer before last to celebrate our tenth anniversary and it is my new favorite place in the world! Give serious consideration to spending a couple of days in Versailles. (Take the train from Paris, not a cab. Much faster and a fraction of the cost. Fun, too.) We stayed at the Trianon Palace Hotel, just outside the gates of the palace, and it was the absolute highlight of our trip. You can rent bikes to ride through the woods or a boat to row on the canals on the palace grounds. The town is gorgeous and very different from the city of Paris. Not at all touristy, with great bakeries and restaurants and beautiful places to walk.

Oh, and you can buy a multi-museum passport at any of the museum box offices in Paris that not only gets you a discount on individual admission, but also lets you go in through a special entrance that bypasses the very, very long lines. No one will tell you this; we discovered it by accident and were astonished that we could avoid two-hour-long lines just by buying one.

Take good walking shoes and use the Metro. We walked about ten miles a day, and even though we never stopped eating, I lost three pounds in one week.

Yeah! On all counts. Paris sounds to die for. You've discovered Amy...and her better bucket... I love her other patterns too, Greenjeans and Emerald. She is lovely (and my local yarn enabler which makes her extra awesome). Great bucket!!

Yea!!! What awesome news. I am actually going to Paris in May--part of a multi country trip I am taking with my sister but I have never been to Paris before and I am SO excited. Let me know if you get a great deal on a hotel!

Yaaaay! I don't know how much negotiations were involved in the Liege process, but certainly Paris makes for an impressive upgrade! Ten days!! Plenty of time for the DMC to visit La Sorbonne and stay locked in Les Ursulines... while you go shopping ;-)Lovely hat, très chic parisien.

OK, I just totally could not stop laughing at the entire first paragraph of this post!! Go you for negotiating this trip! I can't wait to hear about it. I've been to southern France (Nice and Cannes) and western France (Etretat) but have not actually been to Paris yet!

Oh, for pete's sake. Would you stop producing FOs that I am jealous of at such an alarming rate, please? Nevermind that I'm already signed up for Koolhaas, Tudora, and Herringbone Mittens... that bucket hat is definitely going to have to go on the queue.

Yay for tripadvisor. We did a trip from Arkansas to Alaska last fall and it saved our asses! We were able to find nice hotels to stay in that weren't super expensive all because we were able to read some honest ratings. Your trip is going to be amazing!

Bravo on your brilliant powers! I'd love to know some of your secrets! Since my DH is in the same camp as yours with regard to the imminent collapse of our economy, we will be staying in beautiful New Jersey this summer. Although, my indulged son will no doubt be able to weasel a trip to some exotic port out of his father in the name of furthering his education. (Right now the object of his desire is Iceland.)

Thanks for the heads up on the KAL. I've got that pattern in my queue and there's some Malibrigo burning a hole in my stash. Off to sign up.

tres excellente! we initially planned a france trip this summer, but we regrouped and decided to do a canada trip instead - we are doing nova scotia in may/june. i am planning for it now, and I am so excited! all about nature, hiking, photography... i wish i was there now! you are going to have a fabulous time!

...and i love that hat! it is my queue, and i may need to bump it up :)

Yay for you all! You'll have such a great time. I mean, Paris in summer? Sigh. I'm going to be trekking around the US in a van with a bunch of smelly dudes. And, let's face it, not smelling so good myself.

I live in Paris and if you're here in the summer I recommend a walk in the evening along the quays level with the Seine down below the Institut du Monde Arab where there are all sorts of dancers and musicians every evening -salsa, tango, rock and roll, traditional French dancing, etc. You can bring a picnic and join in the fun. You don't want to miss the Vélib either. You can rent bikes all over Paris and if you don't keep them more than 1/2 hour they're free once you've paid the initial rental fee.

Okay, I've meditated and seen that your fortune only makes the world a better place and not me a bitter boy. I'd like to ask a favor and tell me if you see people in wheelchairs. I have a fear of planning a European trip and having to navigate cobblestone streets with a manual chair. Not my idea of fun.

Oh, and could you please stop altering space and time and stacking up so many FOs?!!! Zut alors, cherie!!!